Extra casing jaw for drill pipe tongs



M. E SELF Sept. 27, 1938.

EXTRA CASING JAW FOR DRILL PIPE TONGS Filed Dec. 18, 1936 Ma l W 2? 561,0

- ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 27, 1938 EXTRA CASING J AW FOR DRILL PIPE TONGS Malcolm E. Self, Eunice, N. Mex.

Application December 18, 1936, Serial No. 116,561

1 Claim.

This invention relates to drill pipe tongs and more particularly to thejaw elements thereof.

Heretofore, drill pipe tongs in the oil well, or other analogous arts,have been made in various sizes each designed primarily for use withpipes of definite dimensions within a range of narrow limits. Thus adrill pipe tong designed for example for pipe diameters ranging fromthree to four and one-half inches is restricted to pipes of such sizesand could not be-used with pipes of greater diameters. As a result ofthis condition, it becomes necessary when pipes of different sizes areused to change from one pair of drill pipe tongs to another with aconsignment expenditure of a great amount of time and labor. In additionto this disadvantage it is also necessary to have on hand an assortmentof drill pipe tongs of various sizes which is not only expensive butalso requires considerable storage space and an undue amount ofhandling.

It is accordingly the principal object of this invention to obviate allthe above enumerated disadvantages by providing for use with a standardpair of drill pipe tongs of conventional design, an extra casing jawwhich is so designed as to permit the insertion thereof either singly orin any desired number between the pivotally connected casing jaws of thetongs whereby the capacity of the tongs is substantially increased topermit the use thereof with pipes of a diameter much greater than thatfor which the drill pipe tongs was normally intended.

Another object of the invention relates to the adaptable nature of theextra jaw which is so 35 designed as to permit its insertion between anytwo of the standard casing jaws of the tongs or between the body of thetongs and an adjacent jaw, said extra casing jaw being also adaptablefor coupling together to form a pair for inser- 40 tion as a unit wheredesired in the manner as above indicated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description thereof given hereunder proceeds with reference to theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 shows in a plan View the casing jaw end of a conventional drillpipe tong in attached position to a drill pipe.

Fig. 2 shows in a similar plan View the casing jaw end of a conventionaldrill pipe tong with one inserted extra casing jaw.

Fig. 3 is a plan View similar to that of Fig. 2 showing two extra casingjaws inserted between the standard jaws of the tongs.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the extra casing jaw.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View of the extracasing jaw.

Referring to Fig. 1, l0 denotes the arm of one 5 form of conventionaldrill pipe tongs only the jaw carrying portion thereof being shown, saidarm In at its forward end terminating in a jaw carrying extension l I.Pivotally mounted on the extension H are the inner ends of the jawelements l2 and i3, and pivotally mounted on the outer ends of said jawelements are the clamping jaw elements l4 and IS. The inner ends of thejaw elements l2 and I3 are bifurcated in the manner well known toprovide opposed bosses l6 and II, respectively (only the upper which areshown) and which straddle the extension II for pivotal connectionthereto through the medium of the pivot pins or bolts l8 and I9." Theouter ends of the jaw elements l2 and I3 terminate in single bosses (notshown) which fit between the opposed bosses 20 and 2| at the inner endsof the jaw elements l4 and 15 which are identical with the bosses I6 andH, the jaw elements l2, I3 and I 4, l5 being pivotally connectedtogether through the medium of the pivot pins or bolts 22 and 23. Theouter end of the jaw element M has pivotally connected thereto a latchelement 24 provided with a head 25 adapted to have interengaging andlocking relationship with the abutments 26 provided on the end of thejaw element I5 as clearly shown. Both the jaw elements l4 and [5 areprovided with manipulating arms 21 and 28, respectively. 'Each of thejaw elements are provided with arcuate projecting. clamp faces 29 whichare adapted to seat on the cylindrical surface of the drill pipe 30 inclamping engagement therewith. Inasmuch as the above described parts donot constitute any part of my invention, being conventional structure, amore detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary. The drill pipe30 is shown in Fig. 1 with the jaw elements of the drill pipe tongsclamped thereon.

In order to utilize the tongs I0 with a drill pipe of a diameter muchlarger than the drill pipe 30,

l2 and I 3. At its other end the extra casing jaw 32 is provided with asingle boss 35 which is arranged in the central longitudinal planethereof, said single boss being of the same dimensions as the singleboss formed at the outer ends of the inner jaw elements I2 and I3.Between the bosses 33, 34 and 35 is the body portion of the extra-casing jaw which is provided on its bottom side with an arcuateprojecting clamp face 35 that extends laterally the full width of thecasing jaw. On its upper face the body portion of the extra casing jawis provided with strengthening webs 31.

By virtue of the above construction the extra casing jaw 32 may beinserted between any two of the jaw elements or between either of theinner jaw elements and the jaw carrying extension H of the tongs toincrease the size or capacity thereof. Referring to Fig. 2, the extracasing jaw 32' is shown inserted between the jaw elements l2 and I4 andpivotally connected thereto by the pivot pins or bolts l8 and 22; theopposed bosses 33 and 34 straddling the single boss on the forward endof the jaw element l2 and the single boss 35 fitted between the opposedbosses 20 on the inner end of the outer jaw element M. It will beobserved that with the insertion of the extra casing jaw 32 the drillpipe tongs ID will accommodate a drill pipe 3! which is of a much largerdiameter than the drill pipe 30.

In Fig. 3, there is shown two such extra casing jaws 32 and 32'pivotally connected together as at 40 and inserted as a unit between thejaw elements l2 and i4, being connected thereto in the manner as setforth above. With the addition of two such extra casing jaws, the drillpipe tongs I will accommodate a drill pipe 4| of a still greaterdiameter.

It is to be understood that the extra casing jaw 32 may be made of anydesired shape or size providing the same is insertible between thepivotal jaw element connections of the tongs. While in Figs. 2 and 3,the extra casing jaw has been shown inserted between the jaw elements l2and I4 it is obvious that if so desired the same may be inserted betweenthe jaw elements l3 and I5, or between the inner jaw elements l2 and I3and the jaw carrying extension H. In addition various differentembodiments of the invention may be employed within the scope of theaccompanying claim.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, whatis claimed is:

An extra casing jaw for insertion between a pair of normally adjacentpivotally connected clamping elements of a drill pipe tong, comprising astructurally integral unit having spaced parallel wall portions, saidwall portions converging at one end thereof and merging into a singlewall portion arranged centrally between said parallel wall portions, alaterally extending boss formed at the other end of each parallel wallportion to form an eye at each end thereof, said eyes being providedwith coaxial bores, a laterally extending boss formed on each side ofsaid single wall portion and provided with an axial bore therethrough todefine a single eye, said unit having a clamping portion, said clampingportion comprising parallelly extending reinforcing walls in spacedrelation to said parallel Wall portions, each of said reinforcing wallsbeing structurally integral with and forming an extension of a lateralboss on said parallel wall portions, and an arcuate clamping memberextending transversely beneath said wall portions and joining thebottoms of said parallel reinforcing walls adjacent their end edges.

MALCOLM E. SELF.

